[Imaging techniques in hepatocellular carcinoma: diagnosis, extension and evaluation of therapeutic response]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has a poor prognosis when diagnosed in advanced stages. Patients with cirrhosis of any etiology are a clear risk group. Thus, to improve prognosis, these patients should be included in surveillance programs to detect HCC in the early phases. Ultrasonographic examination is recommended for this purpose. The imaging techniques currently available for characterization of focal liver lesions are dynamic ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT). MRI and CT are also suitable to determine tumoral extension. This article reviews the role of imaging techniques in the diagnosis and study of extension of HCC and in assessment of tumoral response after treatment, according to tumoral stage at diagnosis and the clinical status of the patient.